Jeffery Deaver - The Cold Moon

Now he told her-coyly and hesitantly-a few more things about the man running up the street and added to the vague description of Gerald Duncan, though it was pretty much what the police knew anyway, since they had that computer picture of him (he'd have to tell Duncan about that). She jotted some notes.

"Any unusual characteristics?"

"Hmm. Don't remember any. Like I said, I wasn't very close."

"Any weapons?"

"Don't think so. What exactly did he do?"

"There was an attempted assault."

"Oh, no. Anybody hurt?"

"No, fortunately."

Or un-, thought Clever Vincent/Tony.

"Was he carrying anything?" Agent Dance asked.

Keep it simple, he reminded himself. Don't let her trip you up.

He frowned thoughtfully and hesitated. Then he said, "You know, he might've been. Carrying something, I mean. A bag, I think. I couldn't really see. He was going pretty fast… " He stopped speaking.

Kathryn cocked her head. "You were going to say something else?"

"I'm sorry I'm not more help. I know it's important."

"That's okay," the woman said reassuringly, and for a moment Vincent had a pang of guilt about what was going to happen to her in a few minutes.

Then the hunger told him not to feel guilty. It was normal to have the urge.

If we don't eat, we die…

Don't you agree, Agent Dance?

They sipped coffee. Vincent told her a few other tidbits about the suspect.

She was chatting like a friend. Finally he decided the time was right. He said, "Look, there is something else… I was kind of scared before. You know, I'm around here every day. What if he comes back? He might figure out I said something about him."

"We can keep it anonymous. And we'll protect you. I promise."

A clever hesitation. "Really?"

"You bet. We'll have a policeman guarding you."

Now, there's an interesting idea. Can I have the redhead?

He said to Dance, "Okay, I saw where he ran to. It was the back door of a building up the street. He ran inside."

"The door was unlocked? Or did he have a key?"

"Unlocked, I think. I'll show you if you want."

"That'd be very helpful. Are you through?" She nodded at the cup.

He drained the coffee. "Am now."

She flipped closed her notebook, which he'd have to remember to get from her after he was finished.

"Thanks, Agent Dance."

"You're very welcome."

As he wheeled the groceries outside, the agent paid the check. She joined him and they started up the sidewalk where he directed.

"Is it always this cold in New York in December?"

"A lot of times, yep."

"I'm freezing."

Really? You look plenty hot to me.

"Where are we going?" she asked, slowing down and looking at the street signs. She squinted against the glare. She paused and jotted in her notebook, reciting as she wrote. "The perp was recently in this location, Sherman Street in Greenwich Village." She looked around. "Went up alley between Sherman and Barrow… " A glance at Vincent. "What side of the street's the alley on? North, south? I need to be accurate."

Ah, she's meticulous too.

He thought for a moment, disoriented by the hunger more than the bitter cold. "That'd be southeast."

She looked at her notebook, laughing. "Can hardly read it-the shivering. This cold is too much. I can't wait to get back to California."

And you'll be waiting a purty long time, missy…

They resumed walking.

"You have a family?" she asked.

"Yep. A wife and two kids."

"I have two children. Son and daughter."

Vincent nodded, wondering: How old is the daughter?

"So this's the alley?" she asked.

"Yep. There's where he ran to." Pulling the grocery cart behind him, he started into the alley that would lead to their love nest, the abandoned building. He felt a painful erection.

Vincent reached into his pocket and gripped the handle of his knife. No, he couldn't kill her. But if she fought back, he'd have to protect himself.

Slash the eyes…

It'd be gross but her bloody face wouldn't be a problem for Vincent; he preferred them on their bellies anyway.

They were walking deeper into the passageway now. Vincent looked around and saw the building, forty or fifty feet away.

Dance paused again, opened the notebook. She recited what she wrote: "The alley runs behind six, no, seven residential buildings. There are four Dumpsters here. The surface of the alley is asphalt. The perpetrator ran this way, going south." Gloves back on, over her quivering fingers, which ended in deliciously red nails.

The hunger was consuming Vincent. He felt himself withering away. He gripped the knife in a tense hand, breathing quickly.

She paused once more.

Now! Take her.

He started to pull the knife from his pocket.

But the bark of a siren cut through the air, coming from the other end of the alley. He glanced at it in shock.

And then he felt the gun muzzle touch the back of his head.

Agent Dance was shouting, "Raise your hands. Now!" Gripping his shoulder.

"But-"

"Now."

She shoved the gun harder into his skull.

No, no, no! He let go of the knife and lifted his arms.

What was going on?

The police car skidded to a stop in front of them, another right behind it. Four huge cops jumped out.

No…Oh, no…

"On your face," one of them ordered. "Do it!"

But he couldn't move, he was so shocked.

Then Dance was stepping back as police officers surrounded him, pulling him to the ground.

"I didn't do anything! I didn't!"

"You!" one of the men cried. "On your belly- now. "

"But it's cold, it's dirty! And I haven't done anything!"

They flung him to the hard ground. He grunted as the breath was knocked from his body.

It was just like with Sally Anne, all over again.

You, fat boy, don't fucking move! Pervert!…

No, no, no!

Hands were all over him, grappling. He felt the pain as his arms were pulled taut behind him and cuffs were ratcheted on. He was searched, pockets turned inside out.

"Got an ID, got a knife."

It was now, it was thirteen years ago, Vincent could hardly tell.

"I didn't do anything! What's this all about?"

One of the officers said to Agent Dance, "We heard you loud and clear. You didn't need to go into the alley with him."

"I was afraid he'd bolt. I wanted to stay with him as long as I could."

What was going on? Vincent wondered. What did she mean?

Agent Dance glanced at the officer and nodded toward Vincent. "He was doing a good job until we got into the diner. Once we sat down I knew he was faking."

"No, you're crazy. I-"

She turned to Vincent. "Your accent and expressions were inconsistent and your body language told me you weren't really having a conversation with me at all. You had another agenda, trying to manipulate me for some reason… Which turned out to be getting me alone in the alley."

She explained that when she'd paid the check she'd slipped her phone out of her pocket and hit REDIAL, calling an NYPD detective she'd been working with. She'd whispered briefly what she'd concluded and had him send officers to the area. She'd kept the phone line open, hidden under her notebook.

That's why she was reciting the names of the streets out loud; she was giving them directions.

Vincent then looked at her hands. She caught his eye. And held up the pen she'd been writing with. "Yep. That's my gun."

He looked back at the other cops. "I don't know what's going on here. This is bullshit."

One of them said, "Listen, why don't you save your breath. Just before she called we got a report that the getaway driver in the attack earlier was back in the neighborhood with a cart of groceries. He was a fat, white guy."